As a freelance photographer, Caroline Phillips ‘14 loves “capturing people doing what they love.” Even on the long, busy days of shooting, Phillips enjoys making connections with people and creating new relationships with her clients. Plus, getting to travel to places like Hong Kong and Ireland for photoshoots is a nice perk!
However, the job does come with its challenges. Phillips explained that starting out as a freelance photographer can be difficult since you often have to prove yourself and the quality of your work. But once you build up a steady clientele, as a freelancer you have plenty of freedom to make your own schedule and pick what projects you want to work on. Another challenge is keeping up with new technology. To help with this, Phillips recommends having a strong community of fellow professionals where you can discuss helpful equipment and techniques.
Phillips also appreciated having a strong community during her time at Messiah. She recommends that students take advantage of the Messiah community where you can learn from each other. As a film and media arts major, she loved participating in Messiah’s Film Society where students could talk about any shows, movies, or news that they had recently seen. Phillips also helped out with senior film projects as a student. She explained that during her first year, she got a camera for Christmas and that following semester, she was asked to take pictures for senior films. This gave her amazing experience and a behind the scenes look into several different projects.
Since graduating from Messiah, Phillips said that she appreciates what she learned through the communication classes since they taught her how to effectively communicate with her clients. Those skills have come in handy during many exciting projects, photoshoots, and even when she was the poster photographer for the show “Or Die Trying” in LA. Phillips noted that she even has one of her photographs displayed in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
Phillips advises that students should “listen to what you want to do and follow your own path.” Through her experience, she realized that “there’s no right path,” but if you do what you enjoy and “take any opportunities that come your way,” you can define your own journey.
-Chloe Howell Dec. ‘23